ORMHOF inductee Chris Collard, Class of 2015, shares some great storytelling, which is right in his wheelhouse. Who knew you could go from UPS driver to premier magazine editor and writer? That’s my favorite part of the story, how Chris gets invited and takes the opportunity to get in the room. So grateful to interview long-time history-makers in the industry. Congratulations to Chris Collard, a 2015 inductee into ORMHOF; Chris is why we say; legends live at ORMHOF.org. Be sure to tune in on your favorite podcast app.
3:00 – surfing or milking goats, which would you do?
9:03 – I worked since I could walk
19:54 –The UPS guys were the world sex symbols
29:14 – I’m on a first-class flight, and Mark Smith was querying me, the finale – damn kid, get off your ass and do it!
32:21 – if you’re going to be a photographer, you better be a writer, too!
39:45 – good storytellers put you in the seat with them
49:22 – The story starts…I remember being in Zambia (be sure to listen to this one!)
53:46 – I’m historically an optimist, but I’ve had some moments…this one time in Morocco (another great story!)
59:06 – I’ll take some morphine for the road
1:07:03 – The runway is like a worm, but don’t worry, the pilots have some vodka before they land
TRANSCRIPT
[00:01:14.630] – Big Rich Klein
On today’s episode of Conversations with Big Rich, I get a chance to interview a friend of mine. He’s an offroader, an adventurer, photographer, a writer. 2015 Offroad Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee Chris Collard. And Chris, it is so good to finally nail you down and get you on the phone for this interview and I want to say thank you so much.
[00:01:39.870] – Chris Collard
Well, I’m just glad to be here. I’m excited to be here. We’ve been talking about this for quite a while and schedules were always conflicting. Yeah, it’s going to be fun.
[00:01:48.920] – Big Rich Klein
You’re a busy man traveling all over the world and we’re going to get to that. But first, the first question is, where were you born and raised?
[00:01:57.990] – Chris Collard
Well, there’s a few different answers.
[00:01:59.790] – Big Rich Klein
Okay.
[00:02:00.260] – Chris Collard
Born in Harbor City Hospital in Long Beach, but we moved around a little bit. I’d say that in my younger years. I grew up in North County, san Diego. Place called Solana Beach.
[00:02:13.440] – Big Rich Klein
Okay.
[00:02:14.140] – Chris Collard
And loved that. But then ended up we moved up to Northern California, Rocklin outside of Sacramento, just before high school. And I hated it. I’m like, as soon as I’m 18, I’m moving back to the beach. We lived in a tent, actually on a friend’s ranch for like three months during a summer. My folks had a little 13 foot trailer. My sister and I lived in a tent while my dad started to build our first house. So, yeah, Southern California, but it was a good place.
[00:02:49.670] – Big Rich Klein
So up until about high school, you said, what was it about Southern California that you love so much? Growing up on the beach, did you know? What was it?
[00:03:00.970] – Chris Collard
Yeah, the beach wasn’t bad. I mean, my friends who went to high school, they had surf PE as the first class of the day. So when we moved up on this ranch, I learned how to milk goats. So there were motivations to move back. I never did that.
[00:03:20.430] – Big Rich Klein
Surfing or milking goats.
[00:03:22.770] – Chris Collard
Pretty much, yeah. It was a total AG community back then READ MORE
